Petter, Stig and Ole Bakke in the Smart Salmon Group will initially build a site in Norway first.
Smart Salmon Group – ran by brothers Petter, Stig and Ole Bakke – want to build a post smolt plant in Smørhamn in Sogn og Fjordane, Western Norway, and has obtained a license for an annual production of 2,500 tonnes.
Unclear financing
Then came the desire of investors to also build a land-based salmon farm in the same area. A license has been applied for 5,000 tonnes.
“In Norway, we want to organise a complete unit in Smørhamn with both large-scale and edible fish. Investment in the smolt plant is about NOK 350 million (EUR 35 million) while the land-based salmon farm is about NOK 600 million (EUR 60 million). The plan is first to build smolt plants and then land-based farm, but with possible combinations and adaptations based on market / sales at large smolt,” CEO Ole Bakke wrote in an e-mail to SalmonBusiness.
However, funding for the project is currently lacking.
“Financing is not in place, but we already have some interesting shareholders and are working towards a larger capital raising of up to NOK 300 million (EUR 30 million) in the new year,” Bakke wrote.
France
But it is not only in Norway that the Bakkes are looking at the possibility of land-based salmon farming. According to the company’s website, a 100-acre purchase agreement has been signed in Brittany, France.
Ole Bakke confirmed to SalmonBusiness that they are working on the French project.
“At the plant, we have done a preliminary design, and are now working with our French supporters to place all licenses and building permits on 10,000 tonnes of edible fish. The facility is designed to produce fish from roe to edible fish in a complete facility, with its own cleaning unit where the only thing that will be released will be pure water,” explained Bakke adding:
“The plans also include biogas plants, possibly in combination with waste from other activities in the area, and the use of CO2 and nutrients from waste in production in a greenhouse”.
France plans have also been discussed in the publication Firdaposten. Chairman and brother Petter Bakke said that the company would first look at the opportunity to build in Norway. If this fails, the company will move its focus to Europe.
“We want to realise both,” Ole Bakke told SalmonBusiness.
